1. Field
Embodiments may generally relate to systems incorporating voice and email messaging. More particularly, some embodiments are concerned with associating a voice message with a previously-sent email message.
2. Description
Current technology allows people to contact one another using various communication modes. Telephone and email communication (both wired and wireless) are ubiquitous, while text messaging, instant messaging and fax communication are also preferred communication modes in some scenarios. Each communication mode provides an alternative point of contact, which can present problems for the receiving party (e.g., continuous checking of/interruption by communication devices) as well as the sending party (e.g., determining appropriate communication mode, determining contact information for the determined mode, leaving multiple messages via multiple communication modes). Generally, the existence of multiple commonly-used communication modes can result in communication inefficiency.
Unified messaging is a concept that provides some integration of various communication modes. For example, Siemens Openscape® system provides a “presence-aware” system that allows receiving parties to specify their availability with respect to various communication modes. Calling parties may view this availability and determine a communication mode for contacting a receiving party based thereon. Unified messaging systems such as Siemens HiPath Xpressions® may also allow retrieval of voice messages, email messages, facsimiles, text messages, etc. via a single interface (e.g., a Web browser).
Conventional unified messaging systems do not provide suitable integration of different communication modes from the sender's perspective. That is, although the receiver is able to use one communication mode to access communications sent via a different communication mode, a sender is limited to the features of only one communication mode at a given time.
Unified messaging systems, as well as conventional voice messaging systems, allow a user to retrieve voice messages that are stored in a voice message mailbox associated with the user. For example, a calling party may call a user's (i.e., a called party's) cellular telephone number and, if the user does not answer the call within a specified number of rings, the call may be transferred to and answered by a voice message mailbox provider. The calling party may then generate (e.g., orally dictate) a voice message that is stored by the voice message mailbox provider in a voice message mailbox associated with the user.
Systems are desired that may provide improved integration of voice messages with other communication modes.